“Charging stations are an essential service for our customers, just like air conditioning or Wi-Fi,” says Akena Hotels’ General Manager, Marc Plisson… The hotel group has been equipping its establishments with electric charging stations for seven years. Located on the outskirts of major cities, the brand’s 3-star hotels cater to professionals during the week and a more family-oriented clientele from Friday evening onwards.
So, how does the group envisage charging to meet the needs of all its customers? Marc Plisson responds to Driveco!
Why did you decide to equip your establishments with charging stations?
It was primarily to meet customer demand. I remember seven years ago when we had requests for charging, we would arrange to plug our customers’ cars into the technical rooms. Shortly after this period, we met Driveco.
We decided to test charging stations at three or four establishments, notably in Reims. Gradually, the importance of such a service became evident!
The Akena group chose to consider this service as essential for its customers, like air conditioning or Wi-Fi. For some travellers, it’s a criterion for choosing our establishments.
How has the demand evolved since?
We can no longer conceive of the construction or renovation of an establishment without an electric charging station. From the very start of a new hotel project, we now anticipate the design of these stations.
Our stations have four charging points for hotels with sixty rooms. We are considering recalibrating the stations to increase to six points soon. Initially, we installed low-power charging stations requiring the least possible investment. Today, given our customers’ demand, that is no longer possible. There is a real need to charge quickly.
The ambition is twofold. On the one hand, we need to offer better customer service; for example, we offer charging to our most loyal customers. On the other hand, we must adhere to an ecological approach that meets the requirements of the LOM law, which mandates the installation of electric charging stations in the car parks of tertiary, industrial, and public buildings.
Have you encountered any particular difficulties during the installation of charging stations?
The main difficulty we face is dependency on Enedis’s responsiveness in connecting the stations to the electricity grid. This process takes about six months from the request. The difficulty is therefore not technical but rather administrative. However, it is clear that Driveco’s support streamlines the project, from study to audit, including construction and maintenance.
What is your view on the charging station installation requirements contained in the Mobility Orientation Law (LOM)?
In my opinion, many hoteliers are already committed to this approach. Installing electric charging stations is not really a constraint. On the contrary, it is in our interest to offer this service to our customers, including charging points for soft mobility (bicycles, scooters).
The issue for us today is more about the energy impact of the equipment… As hoteliers juggle various regulatory obligations, it is sometimes challenging to prioritise, so relevant support is desirable!
Why did you choose Driveco to install your charging stations?
The dialogue with our contacts has always been straightforward: the team was responsive and present from the outset to help us get to grips with the stations and for everything related to maintenance. Driveco offered us the possibility to install charging stations in Akena Hotels’ colours. For us, this was important as it aligned with our desire to upgrade our offerings.
To be honest, I never hear about the stations once they are installed. This means there are no maintenance issues that require my attention!
Today, eight of our thirty establishments are equipped. The future of our collaboration is therefore new installations—eight in total between 2024 and 2025, notably for our upcoming establishment at Disneyland Paris. In the provinces, these are new constructions, and the design of the charging stations begins as soon as building permits are obtained.
About Akena Hotels
- 30 years of existence.
- The ambition to offer comfort at the best price, with atmosphere and conviviality.
- In 2023, openings in Niort, Biarritz, Montpellier, and soon in Nantes and Futuroscope.
- For eight years, Marc Plisson, General Manager, has aimed to relaunch the brand.
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